A look at Pope Francis' rise to leading the Catholic Church
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NEW YORK (PIX11) – Pope Francis, the first Latin American and Jesuit pope, passed away at the age of 88 years old on Monday.
He came down with double pneumonia earlier this year, which led to a 38-day hospitalization. Pope Francis was later released and attended several public events, including one on Easter Sunday, before his death.
His rise to becoming the pope started in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he was born on Dec. 17, 1936. Pope Francis would then become an ordained Jesuit priest in 1969.
In 1998, Francis succeeded Cardinal Antonio Quarracino to become the archbishop of Buenos Aires. He was then elevated to cardinal status in 2001.
Pope Francis was sworn-in as the 266th pope on March 13, 2013. He remained pope until his death on April 21, 2025.
The selection process for a new pope, called the conclave, will start 15 to 20 days after Pope Francis' death.
This story comprises reporting from The Associated Press.
Erin Pflaumer is a digital content producer from Long Island who has covered both local and national news since 2018. She joined PIX11 in 2023. See more of her work here.